Despite the opposition of some Muslim groups and the reluctance of politicians to come out strongly in his support, Mr. Rushdie vowed he would “most certainly” be coming back to India, “and many times, so deal with it.”

The British author seems to be staying true to his promise. He is set to speak at a gathering organized by India Today later this week, in what would be his first public appearance in India since the Jaipur lit fest controversy.

Mr. Rushdie, who is of Indian origin, was discouraged from attending the literary festival after some Muslim groups in the northern Indian city of Jaipur threatened violence. The Booker Prize-winning author, credited for having shaped Indian English with his magical realism, is reviled among many Muslims for his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which they consider blasphemous.

After canceling his trip to India, security concerns were such that Mr. Rushdie wasn’t even allowed to address the audience of the Jaipur Literature Festival through a video link, a development that sparked an animated debate on how to balance religious sensitivities and freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy.

If all goes to plan, these are issues that Mr. Rushdie may well bring up at the India Today event in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, when he is set to address a session called “The Liberty Verses – I am What I am and That’s All I am,” a playful reference to the Popeye quotation on his Twitter feed.

There were no immediate reports of opposition to Mr. Rushdie’s upcoming talk at the two-day event. However, the chances are we won’t know for sure whether Mr. Rushdie will be able to travel to India and address the event until Friday itself. India Real Time has more.